To mark the 20th Anniversary of the Festival, founder Al Williams promises to pull out all the stops. Highlights will include a nightly fireworks show, performances by some of the best and brightest in the Jazz, Smooth Jazz, and R&B genres and the announcement of the first annual "Long Beach Jazz Festival Lifetime Achievement Award" recipient and the "Al Williams Jazz Heritage Award honoree." Additionally, there will be a couple of surprise musical guests.

The three day lineup for this year’s festival include (not in order of appearance):

In 1978, Al Williams co-founded the Queen Mary Jazz Festival aboard the Queen Mary. In 1987, he founded the Long Beach Jazz Festival and established the festival site at beautiful Rainbow Lagoon Park. The festival has since become one of the top three annual events in Long Beach, attracting jazz aficionados from all over the United States and abroad and a favorite of those on the Jazz Festival circuit.

The festival through the years, has also been responsible for breaking new talent, as well as, exposing concert attendees to the fresh musical sounds of today’s top jazz recording artists such as, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Poncho Sanchez (a festival favorite), Dianne Reeves, Al Jarreau, Rochelle Ferrell, Keiko Matusi, Bobby Caldwell, Norman Brown and so many more. According to Festival founder, Al Williams, “These past 19 years have been a truly remarkable and incredible experience; the festival has exposed thousands to the world's greatest jazz musicians and vocalists, and has kept all forms of jazz music 'alive' and available for many generations to enjoy.”

Tickets are available through Rainbow Promotions at (562) 424-0013, Ticketmaster outlets or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Ticket ranges include: VIP tickets – $150 on Friday and $175 per seat on Saturday and Sunday – include a three-course gourmet dinner, wine service and VIP hospitality. Reserved Box Seat tickets are $60 on Friday and $75 on Saturday and Sunday. General Admission/Lawn Seating is $45 in advance and $50 at the gate. Gates open at 5:00 pm, with a show time of 7:00 pm on Friday. Saturday and Sunday gates opens at 11:00 am with a show time of 12:00 pm. The Long Beach Jazz Festival takes place at the Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach (CA).

This year’s sponsors include Cadillac, Budweiser, Black Music America and Time Warner Cable.